The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has taken hydrogen tactical by adapting hydrogen fuel cell technology for US Marine Corps field units to replace the heavy batteries and generators now used by soldiers to provide electricity.
Napoleon said that an army travels on its stomach. In the 21st century, it’s more accurate to say that it travels on its batteries. With soldiers relying more and more on personal radios, computer networks, sensors, night-vision goggles, FLIR scopes, advanced rifle targeting scopes and portable drones, they’re also increasingly lumbered with bandoliers of batteries or lugging generators and jerry cans of fuel across the hated final mile of rough terrain.
Small wonder so many soldiers on patrol tend to “lose” batteries with such regularity.
To help alleviate this, the NRL is adapting and field testing hydrogen fuel cell technology originally designed for powering small UAVs. Called the Hydrogen Small Unit…
